Balfour Declaration 1917

¶ … Balfour Declaration of 1917 impacts and endangers the Palestinian-Israel conflict. The author takes the reader on an exploratory look at the declaration as well ass current problems that declaration is creating. There were two sources used to complete this paper. THE CONFLICT CONTINUES The history behind the Israel -- Palestinian conflict is long and complicated however there are several things that become more obvious as time goes on. One of the problems in the conflict that cannot be denied is the impact that the Balfour Declaration has on the situation today.

In Daniel R. Brower's, The World in the Twentieth Century From Empires to Nations Fifth Edition the detailed examination of the conflict makes the reader understand how the Balfour Declaration virtually ties the hands of the Palestinian participants with no obvious compromise or solution. Brower presents an overview of the declaration and its purpose, doing so in the context of the book's meaning.

The book discusses the dismantling of empires world wide and the confusion the aftermath leaves in its place as those who live thee try and interpret the new way of life. Its inception was by the British Government in 1917, which declared the establishment of a Jewish Homeland in Palestine. Unfortunately the declaration was not written in clear and concise enough language to avoid conflict and today the Arabs and the Jews each have a different idea about what the words indicate they should do (Brower, 1999).

This declaration now finds itself at the center of controversy in the conflict between Palestine and Israel as the factions try and argue what the declaration allows them to do and what rights and privileges it was meant to instill and inspire. According to Brower the document is open to subjective opinion therefore innocuous to the world at large. This prevents other nations from stepping in and interpreting it for the two nations as well. Each side of the conflict believes the document gives them rights to certain lands.

The document's language has led to an embittered conflict between the sides that have no end in sight. The heart of the problem is in the interpretation. The Jews believe the declaration gave them a national homeland alliance in Palestine. The Arabs argue that the declaration does so only if the Arabs agree to allow it, and they don't. This causes a central and very violent conflict between the Jews and the Arabs in Palestine.

The document has divided the camps in a way that does not seem to have solutions. Each side believes that the declaration gives Jews a permanent homeland in Palestine however they disagree on whether that right is automatic or a right that is to be held and bestowed upon the Jews by the Arabs. The conflict runs even deeper than the basic meaning behind the declaration. The belief of the Arabs that the declaration gives them permission to allow or not allow the Jews their.